Dropping G-bombs

Glitter bombs. What a compelling way to make a statement. How out of the loop am I that I only just now found out about these?

If you, like I, have been living under a rock (#fernFAIL), you might wonder: What exactly is a glitter bomb? Let me explain. It is a form of protest by gay rights activists in which the protester will shower his or her victim with rainbow-colored sparkles. My guess is that it was inspired by Glee’s Slushie Facial, yet it happens to be a little less hostile. And it doesn’t stain your clothes or give you brain freeze. These glitter bombs have been directed for the most part at republican political candidates, such as Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachman and Rick Santorum, presumably because of their views on gay marriage and gay rights in general. They happen at all kinds of events, including book signings, speaking engagements, campaign rallies and town hall meetings. They’ve become frequent enough, in fact, that Romney even has his secret service protecting him from the “attacks”.

The brilliant thing about glitter bombs is that they are completely benign, nonviolent, nonthreatening – a statement in and of itself. The harmless act of dousing a person in rainbow glitter, in my opinion, says more even than a protest poster. To me, it says that there are ways to draw attention to certain issues without encouraging hate or promoting aggression.

So what do you think? Is glitter bombing a clever and effective way to make a statement, or is it just plain unproductive?